JC principal dismisses 'incentive' claims

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica College (JC) principal Ruel Reid has dismissed suggestions in some quarters that his school has offered incentives to parents and student in a bid to encourage them to represent the institution, particularly in football.

It has been widely speculated that JC is among a number of prominent high schools that enticed players with incentives during their off-season recruitment.

Striker Akeem Schackleford (formerly of Grange Hill High), Chevar Minize (Frome) and Nicholas Dodd (Meadowbrook) are some of the players that JC has brought in ahead of the current schoolboy football season.

The Old Hope Road-based institution, which won the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME knockout competition on Saturday at Sabina Park, has been one of the most successful schools in schoolboy football over the past seven years.

They have won Manning Cup and Olivier Shield titles in 2007, 2010 and 2013 and also won back-to-back Walker Cup knockout titles in 2009 and 2010.

However, Reid told The Gleaner in an interview that it is within their right to recruit players, noting that the school has not broken any of rules which are set out by ISSA as it relates to the transferring of students.

recruitment regulations

"I am certainly not aware of that," said Reid. "We invite students from time to time, but it is not anymore than what other schools do, and remember that there is a regulation that governs recruitment and we adhere to the rules."

"For me, what is important is that you have a rule-based competition and we follow the rules, and so I reject anybody thinking that JC is doing anything out of the ordinary," Reid said.

"We inculcate in our boys a spirit of excellence, and whatever we are doing we want to be the best. We want to be good at academics and all the sports we participate in," he added.

Reid noted that his student athletes continue to excel both on and off the field despite the criticism which they face on a daily basics.

"What I want to say to all naysayers is do your work, prepare yourself and may always the best team win," said Reid.